Volatile
by NotYetLostFaith
Summary: "Tony and Ziva's relationship, even before it was a relationship, has always been volatile." What if Tiva getting together wasn't the happy relationship we all envisage? Spousal abuse. One use of strong language. Obviously hope this doesn't happen.


Tony and Ziva's relationship, even before it was a relationship, has always been volatile. So, the first time he'd struck her it hadn't been as much of a surprise as it should have been.

* * *

><p>"<em>How dare you!" Ziva raged, the moment the front door of their apartment was closed. "You could have been killed! You did not even tell me!" Tony sighed, running his hands through his hair.<em>

"_I walked away! Minor cuts and bruises, you were there, you heard Ducky."_

"_But you could have been killed!" She was getting louder._

"_Ziva! I want to have a shower and go to bed! Stop picking pointless fights!"_

"_Your life is not pointless to me!_

"_Ziva! Shut up! Just let me past will you?" He shouted back, he'd had a terrible day and just needed to forget about it before he took it out on her._

"_I cannot believe you did not tell me! I am supposed to be important to you!" Neither knew what was happening until Ziva's head snapped to the right with the horrible sound of skin on skin contact. Her hand covered her reddening cheek in reflex as she stared at him, speechless._

"_Just…just shut up." Tony stumbled before pushing past her and locking himself in the shower._

* * *

><p>She'd had terrible nightmares that night: woke herself screaming more than once. He'd held her tightly, while she fought him and her subconscious fought itself. He knew he had been to blame, but both knew he was the only one that could help once she was dreaming.<p>

* * *

><p>The next time, Ziva had hit him. She'd had an argument with Eli over a video link in the study and he'd hung up on her, Tony had then only made it worse.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>For fuck's sake!" Ziva screamed, causing Tony to enter the study.<em>

"_What happened? Daddy David hang up again?"_

"_Hush up DiNozzo!" She replied angrily, stepping away from the computer and standing beside the open window._

"_Don't jump, it's not that bad." Tony joked, hoping it'd make her smile: how wrong he was._

"_Do you think me stupid? I am not stupid." She sniped._

"_Well sorry, I just thought I'd try to make you smile!" Tony was starting to match her tone._

"_Why do you not just go take a souring jump?" She shouted._

"_It's flying leap!" He shouted and almost as soon as it was out of his mouth, her fist made contact with his gut._

"_I do not need an English lesson!" She screamed as she left the room at speed letting Tony catch his breath._

* * *

><p>For the rest of the week, she'd slept in the spare room, unable to look at him. He thought it was because she was angry with him, when in reality, which he really should have picked up on, she was angry with herself. It wasn't the first time she had hit a man in anger, but it was the first time she had truly meant to harm Tony. Even in Israel she hadn't wanted to hurt him as badly as she had in that moment.<p>

* * *

><p>From then on, whenever they fought, it always ended in a physical altercation. One or the other would throw a punch, and then they'd separate, Ziva would have a nightmare, they'd apologise and they would be a brilliant couple once more; at least until the cycle started again.<p>

* * *

><p>It was several months before either started leaving marks. The argument wasn't even serious.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>I shall drive." Ziva stated as Tony finished getting dressed for work. "We are running late, it will cut our journey time."<em>

"_Yeah, 'cause I'm incapable of getting us anywhere right?" He muttered half under his breath._

"_We are really going to argue about this really?"_

"_Why not Zi? All you seem to do nowadays is argue with me."_

"_I only argue when you are wrong."_

"_So I'm always wrong? That what you're saying?" Tony's temper was rising rapidly, she saw the warning signs, but she wasn't in an ego-stroking mood._

"_If that is how you would like to take it then yes, you are always wrong. That what you wanted to hear." His breathing rate increased._

"_What am I to you? Huh? Just your little sidekick? Someone who picks up the pieces when your badass mask slips and you actually pretend to be human?" Both of their tempers were flaring dangerously. _

"_You are my partner. At least you are supposed to be." She murmured as she turned away from him. He flew at her, placing his hands on either shoulder and slamming her back into the wall behind her._

"_Don't push me David; I'm not in the mood." He pushed back once more before storming out of the room. She fell to her knees, cough__ing as she tried to regain her breath. After several minutes she was able to stand up and she walked to the mirror. She slowly peeled back the shoulder of her shirt, revealing a quickly developing purple bruise._

* * *

><p>She'd managed to play off the small winces of pain every time she leant her back on something hard or put on her back pack. Gibbs nearly asked several times, but the expression on her face every time he was about to told him not to push.<p>

* * *

><p>Several months passed and they had seemed to stop arguing. Ziva had become placid at home, pulling on childhood learnt mechanisms to prevent parental arguments, determined not to provoke him, and Tony had taken up running. Every time they felt an argument coming, he went for a run and she went for a bath. It worked. But like everything, it could only work for so long.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Tony and Ziva both stood outside the elevator doors, waiting for Gibbs to stop having a pissing match with Fornell and restart the elevator. After waiting for more than five minutes, both decided they'd just take the stairs. It had been a rough day and their masks had started to slip: snide comments and meaningful glances increasing as the day progressed.<em>

"_You were reckless today Tony." Ziva told him sternly as they started to descend the first flight of stairs._

"_Oh was I Ziva? Please tell me, in you unfathomable opinion how I was reckless?"_

"_Do not start Tony. I am merely saying that you should not have chased the suspect through three lanes of traffic."_

"_So what should I have done Zee-vah?" The extension of her name had long stopped being a happy sound. "What would have my perfect ninja warrior done?" He had stopped on the step above her, giving him even more of a height advantage._

"_I would not have chased him through three lanes of traffic that is for sure!" She turned to continue walking when she felt his hands take hold of either shoulder of her shirt and forcefully pull her around to face him._

"_Please, _please, _tell me how you could've done it better Zee-vah!" She struggled against him as he shook her causing her to loose a steady footing. The only thing now stopping her from toppling backwards down the stairs was him holding her._

"_I would have called McGee, seeing as he was on the other side, and told him to look out for him. I would have stayed where I was!" His grip loosened on her and she changed tactic. "Okay, I admit it, I would have followed him. I would have. It is just how we work yes?" Tony knew she was trying to prevent another argument. He held his hands up in defence, not having realised that he was preventing her falling. Their finger tips brushed as they reached for each other as she fell backwards down the remaining flight and a half of stairs._

"_Ziva!" Tony yelled. "Gibbs!" He really hoped he'd come out of the elevator by now as he ran down the stairs to kneel beside her unmoving body. "Ziva?" He whispered, the forming pool of blood gathering behind her head taking all of the fight out of him. Her eyes fluttered just as Gibbs flew through the door like a bat out of hell._

"_Ziver, what happened?" She tried to sit up but a strong hand on her shoulder told her to stay still._

"_I…Gibbs I." Tony stuttered._

"_I slipped." Ziva recovered for him. "Tony tried to catch me. He was not fast enough. Clearly." She chuckled light-heartedly. "I presume I should go see Ducky yes?"_

"_I'm gonna get him to come to you. See if ya need to go to emergency. I don't know if we should move ya."_

* * *

><p>Ducky checked her over and told her she needed several stitches so a trip to emergency was indeed needed. No one questioned how Ziva's ninja senses allowed her to slip down the stairs, or why Tony's cat like reflexes hadn't caught her. Tony had treated her like a princess when they had got home, vowing to never argue with her ever again.<p>

* * *

><p>It was years later before anyone learned the truth of just how volatile their relationship had been. By that point, they had parted ways, both personally and professionally, and had both married and started families. Neither ever spoke of the bad times they had spent together. The time where he'd nearly lost her because of a stupid argument. Ziva carries many scars from her time at NCIS, but it's the small one at the back of her head that her husband will never know the origin of.<p>

* * *

><p>Tony and Ziva's relationship, even before it was a relationship, has always been volatile.<p> 


End file.
